


Shadow Feathers

by kiyala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:37:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Iwaizumi catches a glimpse of Kageyama's wings, he thinks he's just imagining things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadow Feathers

Iwaizumi first sees the feathers when he just so happens to pass Kageyama by on the street one day. There are two of them, a glossy jet black that shine in the light, lying on the pavement at their feet as they stop to greet each other. Kageyama is as earnest as ever, serious and a little awkward, but it's nice to talk to him anyway. It's nice to know that he's doing well for himself.

When Iwaizumi looks down at the feathers, Kageyama's response is immediate. He moves his foot to cover them, a little too quick, a little too obvious, but it's a clear enough sign that if Iwaizumi asks, Kageyama isn't going to answer.

So Iwaizumi just smiles at him, tells him that he's looking forward to seeing how Karasuno do in the preliminaries, and says goodbye.

He turns to look over his shoulder once they've parted ways and sees that the feathers are still there on the ground. There's another one, a little further away, in the direction that Kageyama went.

They don't see each other for a while afterwards, but when they next do, in the crowded gymnasium for the preliminaries, Iwaizumi looks in Kageyama's direction and then freezes up in surprise, blinking. Oikawa turns to him, raising an eyebrow in question, but Iwaizumi just shakes his head because he doesn't quite know how to explain it. He has absolutely no idea how to tell Oikawa that for a moment, when he looked in Kageyama's direction, he could have sworn that he saw wings.

They're jet black, reminding him of the feathers that he saw the previous time, shining under the lights of the gymnasium, spread out behind him, but when Iwaizumi blinks again, they're gone.

He's probably just getting too worked up about their own games. He pushes the thought out of his mind as he settles down to watch the match with the rest of his team. He's curious to see how Kageyama has progressed since their practice match, curious to see if he's getting along with Hinata any better now than before. He's always recognised Kageyama's strength and it's good that he's found a team that can draw out his talent properly. He's going to improve himself even more, and even if Iwaizumi is confident that Seijou would be able to defeat Karasuno in a match, he knows that Kageyama is going to continue growing as a setter regardless.

Iwaizumi sees the wings again, somewhere in the middle of the game. One moment, he's watching the ball as it flies through the air, towards Kageyama and the next, he sees the black feathers spreading out as Kageyama moves, positioning himself under the ball, wings open around his outstretched arms.

The ball makes contact with Kageyama's fingers, and the wings are gone again. Iwaizumi is left blinking, not sure what he's seeing, or why. He doesn't see them again for the rest of the game, and doesn't quite know if he's waiting for them to appear again. They suit him, he thinks, dark like his hair. Dark as a crow's wings.

When their teams play against each other, Iwaizumi sees them throughout the entire game. They're tucked against Kageyama's back, opening only in response to his movements, and Iwaizumi doesn't have the time to question it when he has a game to focus on, he doesn't have the luxury of wondering whether he's the only one who can see them, because nobody else is saying anything about them, nobody is even reacting to what Iwaizumi is seeing.

He means to ask Kageyama about it, but he knows it's not the time, when Karasuno is pulling themselves together after their defeat. Kageyama has his own problems to address right now, he doesn't need to deal with Iwaizumi's questions on top of everything else.

They'll see each other again, anyway. Iwaizumi knows that. He can save the question until then.

In fact, the next time they see each other is another chance meeting on the street. Kageyama's wings are clearly visible, the way they were back during their match against each other. Iwaizumi's gaze catches on them as they greet each other and Kageyama must notice, for the way he tenses up.

"Kageyama," Iwaizumi says, lowering his voice. "I don't really know how to say this without it sounding weird. I can see your wings."

Said wings pin back in response, as Kageyama tenses up even more. Iwaizumi sighs, patting Kageyama's arm a little awkwardly.

"It's okay. I haven't said anything to anyone, and I'm not going to. I was just… wondering about them, I guess." Iwaizumi glances around them, at all the other people on the street, "Maybe we can go somewhere a bit quieter and talk about it?"

Kageyama nods, leading the way to a park nearby. There are a few people around, because the sun's out today and it isn't quite as cold as it's been recently. There's an empty bench, though, and they sit there, beside each other, the silence stretching between them until Iwaizumi realises that he's going to have to be the one to break it.

"Uh." Iwaizumi clears his throat. "Can other people see your wings too?"

"My teammates," Kageyama replies, nodding. "I can see theirs, too."

That makes Iwaizumi blink again. "I didn't realise…"

"You wouldn't," Kageyama says. "You can't see theirs. I knew you could see mine. I knew from that time when you saw the feathers. I knew you'd be able to see them, anyway."

"And why is that?"

Kageyama looks down at his hands in his lap, fingers twisting around each other. "The way it was explained to me, when you like someone, you want to show them your true self. You want them to like you for that."

Iwaizumi blinks. "What?"

"So that's why." One of Kageyama's wings folds around his side, and he picks at the feathers at the end. "This is my true self. I'm showing it to you. It's not something I can control. I can't stop you from seeing them. Not while I like you."

"When you say _like_ …" Iwaizumi begins, but he stops when Kageyama hangs his head a little, like he's waiting to be told off. Pressing his lips together into a thin line, Iwaizumi takes a breath and decides not to ask the question he already knows the answer to. "Do the wings get in your way?"

"Not at all," Kageyama replies. "They grow like they're part of us."

"Can I touch them?" Iwaizumi asks, before he can second-guess himself.

Kageyama doesn't reply for a long moment and when he does, it's by extending his wing out, the one closest to Iwaizumi, nearly whacking him with it. Iwaizumi shifts on the bench, touching it gently. The feathers are firm under his touch, but he can't shake the feeling that the wing is fragile, that he needs to be extremely careful with it. He runs his fingers up along the length of it, feeling it tremble beneath them. He looks up to find Kageyama flushing red, and he slowly pulls his hand away.

"Was that uncomfortable?"

"No." Kageyama shakes his head. "I liked it. Having someone see your wings and then want to touch them is—special."

Iwaizumi stops and thinks about that. He thinks about what it's going to mean if he touches Kageyama's wing again, the way he wants to. He thinks about the message it's going to give Kageyama, and what it's going to mean for both of them.

With his gentlest smile, he reaches his hand out again. "Can I?"

Kageyama nods silently and this time, the tip of his wing brushes against Iwaizumi's hand, like it's caressing him in return.


End file.
